Claire Hamshire

Mind the gaps – Health Professions students’ views of support systems

This paper reports on students’ views of support services identified through the findings of a study of health professions student attrition in the North West of England. Health professions programmes attract a diverse student population and their educational experience is dissimilar to the general student population in a number of ways, as they study for professional qualifications and undertake more work-based learning. Student support systems need to be mindful of these differences and ensure that services are accessible for all. A total of 1,080 students completed an online survey, one section of which investigated student awareness of support services and encouraged them to comment on how they believed services could be improved. Students identified a range of services although of potential concern, 72 students (8%) reported that there were no services available to them. Although some students were positive about provision, several problems were described and included: difficulties accessing services, lack of services at satellite campuses and placement sites and difficulties contacting personal tutors. 736 students (68%) also left comments in response to a follow up question ‘How do you think student support could be improved?’ A thematic analysis identified five themes: increased support on placement, improved communication with academic staff, flexible provision on campus, greater financial support and raising awareness of services.

Benchmarking factor selection and sensitivity: a case study with nursing courses

ABSTRACT There is an increasing requirement in higher education (HE) worldwide to deliver excellence. Benchmarking is widely used for this purpose, but methodological approaches to the creation of benchmark metrics vary greatly. Approaches require selection of factors for inclusion and subsequent calculation of benchmarks for comparison. We describe an approach using machine learning to select input factors based on their value to predict completion rates of nursing courses. Data from over 36,000 students, from nine institutions over three years were included and weighted averages provided a dynamic baseline for year on year and within year comparisons between institutions. Anonymised outcomes highlight the variation in benchmarked performances between institutions and we demonstrate the value of accompanying sensitivity analyses. Our methods are appropriate worldwide, for many forms of data and at multiple scales of enquiry. We discuss our results in the context of HE management, highlighting the value of scrutinising benchmark calculations.

A case for using both direct and indirect benchmarking to compare university performance metrics

ABSTRACT Benchmarking is used in higher education as a means to improve and compare performance. Comparative metric benchmarks may take two forms, based on direct standardization (DS) or indirect standardization (IS). DS can be used to measure variation in performance between institutions, controlling for intrinsic differences at each institution (e.g. controlling for differences in student typologies). IS can be used to measure variation in performance between institutions, compared to average performance overall. Typically, IS has been used to moderate educational output metrics, such as student qualification and satisfaction. We contrast the two approaches with an example dataset for three years of nursing student completion rates from nine institutions. Profiles of benchmarks and actual performance indicated that both approaches provide valuable and different perspectives to comparisons of institutional performance. We discuss the potential merits to stakeholders of each approach and conclude that decision-making can be best informed using both benchmark methods.

The potential of student narratives to enhance quality in higher education

Abstract University policies are increasingly developed with reference to students’ learning experiences, with a focus on the concept of the ‘student voice’. Yet the ‘student voice’ is difficult to define and emphasis is often placed on numerical performance indicators. A diverse student population has wide-ranging educational experiences, which may not be easily captured within the broad categories provided by traditional survey tools, which can drown out the rich, varied and gradual processes of individual development. There is no single tool that can be used to measure students’ experiences. This paper draws on findings from four narrative inquiry studies, carried out in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, to illustrate how a narrative approach could be used to complement performance indicators. This provides a richer context for educators’ understanding of students’ experiences and for supporting and setting institutional agendas.

Developing a Framework for App Evaluation: Empowering Learning and Communication with iPads for Children and Young People with Communication Impairments

This paper presents an overview of a two-year collaborative partnership project between Manchester Metropolitan University and three specialist schools in Manchester, UK. The purpose of the research was to work with a varied group of children and young people experiencing communication impairments and learning disabilities to gain an insight into their needs and subsequently to develop iPad based resources and an App evaluation framework for staff and carers supporting them.